


The Story Goes On

by forgot_my_art



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Athlete Lexa (The 100), Clexa Week, Clexaweek21, Cute Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Day 5 Out of Bounds, Eventual Clarke Griffin/Lexa, F/F, Fluff, Modern Setting Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29858367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgot_my_art/pseuds/forgot_my_art
Summary: Lexa is trying to catch a baseball and goes barreling out of bounds into the dugout where Clarke is. Lexa ends up staying with Clarke overnight in the hospital and they make up this crazy story about a Commander and the girl who fell from the sky.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin & Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 10
Kudos: 109
Collections: Clexaweek2021





	The Story Goes On

Lexa is running, running, and then she is leaping after the baseball hurtling towards the dugouts to save it, and then she is flopping over the wall of the dugout and crashing into a body onto the dirt floor. This was particularly bad judgement on Lexa’s part. 

People are immediately crowding around them, but Lexa can only see the person she has crashed into. Blood soaks her blond locks, and her eyes look dazed. Then, the haze slowly comes out of the blue orbs and they focus on Lexa. Lexa’s breath leaves her lungs as if she was the one who just got barreled into.

-0-

Clarke is almost sure that Lexa Woods, the captain of the baseball team is staying because she pities Clarke. After her sprained ankle had been wrapped, she had wandered in and shyly introduced herself and apologized as if there was any possible way Clarke didn’t know her highschool’s star athlete. It would’ve been endearing if Clarke wasn’t too busy wondering how long Lexa had spent standing on that ankle trying to find out what room Clarke had been transferred to.

The doctor comes in after that and reports that Clarke has a concussion that will require an overnight stay. He adds on afterward that her mother has been notified but had to run off to a surgery. Clarke isn’t surprised in the least. It has always been like that. 

What  _ does _ surprise her is that after he leaves, Lexa plops herself down in the chair situated next to her bed. The sun is setting in the window behind her and frames Lexa’s brown hair perfectly. She must’ve found time to clean up, because although she was still wearing her sand covered uniform, her face was clear of dirt, and the elaborate eyeblack she wore during the game (could it even be called that when it resembled warpaint more?) was gone. It left stunningly chiseled cheekbones.

They sit in an awkward silence in which Lexa stares at her hands folded in her lap. It was quite the revelation, Lexa Woods isn’t your typical jock. Despite her sharp as a blade jawline, her eyes are soft and her voice even gentler. The way she tries not to squirm under Clarke’s examination could be described as cute.

Clarke doesn’t want Lexa’s pity though. Lexa should be home doing her homework or enjoying her sleep or night with her family. Burdening somebody is something Clarke always hated doing. She’s always been independent and she won’t stop all of a sudden today. “You don’t have to stay for me.”

Lexa raises her eyes to meet Clarke. There is something held back in her eyes. An unspeakable emotion. “Nobody should have to stay overnight alone.” Her eyes speak of an entirely different story. They beg Clarke not to push her away. So Clarke doesn’t. Instead she inches over and pats the space she has created next to her. Lexa visibly hesitates. 

“C’mon. You’ll be cold if you spend the entire night on that chair. Not to mention you’ll get a crick in your neck if you sleep like that,”Clarke pushes. If the girl was going to stay with her, they might as well both be equally as comfortable. There was no use in torturing Lexa.

After a reluctant second, Lexa scoots onto the bed. Clarke shifts the blanket so that it covers their legs. They sit shoulder to shoulder for a while. Perhaps thirty minutes. It is so long that Clarke thinks that maybe this will be all that comes of the night. Maybe they would fall asleep side by side, and the next morning when Clarke got discharged, Lexa and Clarke would go their separate ways and never talk again. Except that’s not what happens.

“Do you have any good stories?” This comes out of the silence without warning. Clarke’s eyes shoot up to look at Lexa’s who apparently has now gotten over her shy phase because she is now staring curiously at Clarke.

Clarke could’ve told her any story. She could’ve quoted a classic fairytale to be shallow and simple. She could’ve told a funny life experience story. She could’ve, and she doesn’t. As she watches this beautiful girl in the dim lighting of the hospital bedside lamp looking right back at her, she remembers the bedtime story her Dad used to tell her. “Once there was this girl who was stuck in space after a nuclear apocalypse. She was told Earth needed another hundred years to become survivable again, and then humanity could go back to the ground. The ground, that was her dream. This was her reality.”

As Clarke retells what she remembers of the story that lives only in her memory now, a story she made up with Jake Griffin at bedtime, Lexa looks absolutely captivated. She hangs on to every word as if it is the secret elixir to life itself. She sits up in her seat and her eyes urge Clarke on when she tells of the boy with the goggles who gets hit by the spear. She looks like she’s about to curse out the boy who likes the main character and the mechanic. Lexa practically lives for the love between the girl under the floor and the grounder warrior.

Heck, she even starts asking questions when the mountain men capture the main character. It is like stealing candy from a child when she ends in the death of the boy. Lexa pouts and looks as if it is the end of the world. “There’s no more??? It just ends like that? What type of story is this?” Lexa asks petulantly. 

Clarke is awed that something so simple and stupid that she enjoyed as a kid could get Lexa so riled up. “Lexa...there is no more. My Dad died before he could tell me the rest of the story.”

At this, Lexa’s expression falls. It goes from outrage to guilt, and then to understanding. She doesn’t say she’s sorry, and just settles back down next to Clarke and looks up at the ceiling.

As Clarke is dozing off later, Lexa jokes, “I still think that commander will steal the space girl’s heart.”

Clarke scoffs at the idea. In all the years following her Dad’s death, she had never imagined that as an ending. “No way. She’s the enemy’s leader. I don’t even know how you would get that to work.”

“I can and I will”,Lexa answers with a finality. She turns her head so that their noses can touch and smirks confidently. Clarke can’t help but think that right now, Lexa resembles the commander.

-0-

It is several weeks later that they meet again. This time Clarke has stayed late to work on an art project. Outside it is pouring, so Clarke stands under the alcove of the front entrance of school, deliberating if she should just run home. 

A shining black luxury SUV. Who the hell drives that to school?

The window rolls down to Lexa leaning over to wave at her. “Need a ride?” Of course. Lexa, that’s who. Only Lexa would drive a car like that to and from school. Clarke should’ve guessed.

Clarke is about to refuse when she sees Lexa bite her lip nervously, and suddenly she gets a lonely air from Lexa. There are no teammates messing around, no carpoolers. Just Lexa. Suddenly the luxurious SUV doesn’t seem so luxurious as it seems empty and cavernous. “You sure you don’t have something else better to do with your time?”

Lexa shakes her head with a wry smile. Perhaps, they are mutually benefitting from this situation, just like the hospital room. Maybe Lexa doesn’t want to go home just yet. So Clarke climbs into the passenger seat and apologizes for getting everything wet. Lexa tells her not to be of course, and hands her a pristine towel to dry herself off.

Clarke gives directions to Lexa and they are off. She admires how concentrated Lexa is. Most people would ask again, but Lexa is confident, sure, steady, and stable. The pitter patter of the rain is lulling throughout the car ride. A comfortable silence settles in all the way until Lexa pulls into Clarke’s driveway and parks.

Neither of them make a move. Lexa doesn’t move to open Clarke’s door. Clarke doesn’t move to get out. Lexa doesn’t ask Clarke if she’s going to go. Clarke notices Lexa’s hands fidgeting. Clarke waits. Lexa will come around in her own time if she wants to say it to Clarke. For now Clarke just doesn’t wish to go inside her empty house.

Eventually, Lexa’s voice sounds out in the silence. “I thought of an ending to the story where the commander and main character can fall in love.”

Clarke has all but forgotten about this, and thought Lexa did too. Now she is intrigued, and knows that although she should go back inside and start her homework, if she doesn’t hear Lexa’s version, she will always wonder. “Let’s hear it.”

This story is a continuation of Clarke and Jake Griffin’s but it is also a different one. It is no longer about the space girl and her friends braving the ground. It is about the eternal love of two soulmates. The commander who goes against everything she believes in for the space girl. The depth of betrayal between the two of them. The sadness of knowing that the “maybe someday” would never come. The grief and mourning of the space girl when the commander dies for her. The anguish of being reunited, but not truly. The heartbreak of knowing she loves her but knowing she will never see the commander again.

Tears streak down Clarke’s cheek like the rainwater on the car windows by the end. Lexa looks at her in horror and panics, trying to amend what she has done wrong and apologizing profusely. Clarke shuts up her ramblings by pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Lexa’s cheek. “Thank you for giving it an ending.”

-0-

The entire cafeteria stares when Lexa waltzes over during lunch. “Clarke”, the way her tongue rolls and clicks over the k in her name is so different from how everyone else says her name. It’s so  _ Lexa _ . She perches herself on the edge of Clarke’s table as if she owns the place, but the way her hands fidget give her away. “There’s an after party for the baseball game this weekend. Do you want to come with me?”

By now the entire cafeteria is silent and holding their breath. Lexa Woods hasn’t gone with anyone to a party. The mystery that shrouds Lexa has been thicker than the Great Wall of China. Clarke doesn’t need to look to know that Raven is getting a kick out of this.

Clarke lets out a bark of laughter, “Only for you, Woods.” She winks for the benefit of those watching. If Lexas cheeks happened to heat up as a consequence, Clarke wasn’t going to complain. Clarke was going to go to the party to begin with. After all, why would party-girl-Griffin give up a party to go home to a silent house?

Lexa nods and struts away. As she does the cafeteria starts to erupt with chatter. There is no doubt what the entire school will be talking about for the rest f the week

“Woods is so cocky”, Bellamy complains the moment he is sure Lexa is out of earshot. He scowls, having never particularly liked the baseball team for taking all of the attention off of the soccer team.

Clarke can only think of how much courage it must’ve taken to know everyone in the room was listening and watching her and asking something like that. Bellamy certainly wouldn’t have the guts.

After that her friends erupt with questions. “Since when have you been talking to the hottest chick in school?” Jasper asks with a hint of jealousy. His eyes trail after Lexa’s retreating behind.

“Why didn’t you tell me, you were flirting with Woods?” Clarke’s best friend Octavia quips in. She feigns being hurt but is sporting a shit eating grin. 

Clarke shrugs, “Because I wasn’t until a minute ago.” It’s true. They hadn’t flirted at all the last two times they’d talked. Withholding information isn’t lying. Octavia squints at her, not buying it at all, but doesn’t press.

“Get it, party girl Griffin is always on her game”, Miller jokes and the entire table roars with laughter.

-0-

True to her word, Lexa does pick up Clarke the night after her crushing win. The entire room roars in approval as the champion enters through the door. Clarke is mentally prepared for Lexa to leave her to her own devices, but as Lexa is tugged to the center of the crowd, she puts a protective arm around Clarke and murmurs, “Tell me if you get uncomfortable. We’ll go.”

What do you know? Chivalry isn’t dead. Lexa is practically shoved drink after drink, game after game. Everyone’s eyes are on her, the reigning champion, but Lexa is simply protective of Clarke the entire time. It is a novel feeling. Nobody has ever protected her like she is something precious. Clarke has to admit that Lexa holds her alcohol well for somebody who never parties. They laugh and Clarke drinks a small amount. Well, it is small compared to what she usually drinks. 

She has a feeling Lexa won’t be able to drive back home by the end of this. Lexa’s words start to slur and although her arm is supposed to be protectively wrapped around Clarke’s shoulders, Clarke is holding her up equally as much. At least Lexa is a cute drunk. Once in a while she turns to see Clarke next to her and gasps as if Clarke wasn’t there the entire time. She proceeds to giggle something about how lucky she is to have a pretty girl next to her. Clarke would be lying if she said it didn’t make her heart flutter.

Lexa holds up pretty well. She seems to impress Octavia, and even manages to charm Bellamy into playing a game of beer pong. It isn’t until Lexa gets thrown in the pool by her teammates that she leaves Clarke’s side. She promises that she’ll be right back before stumbling away.

Clarke is left to her own devices in a quiet hallway.

“Well, well, look who it is, party girl Griffin”, the sleazy voice of Cage Wallace comes from behind her. Clarke whips around. His grin is leering. “Rumor is that you’re a lot of fun. What do you say we ditch that dyke and get out of here?”

She can smell all the drugs and alcohol he has taken. He was awful to begin with, but high and drunk, he is ten times worse. “No. Not in a million years, Cage.”

Cage laughs and grabs her shoulders. “You don’t mean that, baby.”

Clarke attempts to shrug him off but his grip is too strong. Then both of them freeze for completely different reasons when a voice quietly commands, “Get off of her.”

Cage turns around to face Lexa, who stands several inches shorter than him, but still manages to glower down at him. His eyes widen and he scampers away like a frightened dog. 

Lexa surges forward, her hands going to Clarke’s cheeks, checking if Clarke is hurt or okay. Clarke for her part is absolutely captivated by Lexa. She has found new clothes but her brown locks are wet and frames her face differently. Her green eyes are laced with worry.

Slowly Lexa realizes Clarke isn’t responding and looks up to meet her eyes. It’s like Clarke is a magnet and Lexa is the North Pole. They slowly gravitate towards each other in this moment until their lips meet.

-0-

Lexa finishes retelling the story and smiles as she looks down. A small bundle of joy is cradled in her arms, now sleeping instead of screaming and crying, having finished a bottle of milk and a new diaper snugly around the baby’s bottom.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Clarke’s raspy voice comes from the doorway. Lexa looks up to see Clarke smiling at her and knows Clarke heard the story.

“You’ve been up so often. I wanted to let you sleep a little more. Besides, I got it,”Lexa answers. She turns her attention back to their child. Clarke walks forward and sits on the arm of the armchair, leaning into her and snaking an arm around Lexa’s shoulders.

Together they watch their baby sleep, and wonder what story their baby will experience, just like the story they made with each other.


End file.
